AMAZING HEALTH FOR EATING
WATERMELON
1. It soothes sore muscles.
Drinking watermelon juice before a
hard workout helped reduce athletes' heart rate and next-day muscle soreness.
That's because watermelon is rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline, which
the body converts to
L-arginine, an essential amino acid that helps relax blood vessels
and improve circulation.
2. It helps heart health.
Postmenopausal women experienced improved cardiovascular health
after six weeks of taking commercially available watermelon extract supplements
containing citrulline and arginine, according to a study published earlier this
year by Florida State University physiologist Arturo
Figueroa.
3. It could be a natural Viagra.
Improved circulation can benefit
more than just the heart, as at least one watermelon researcher has pointed out.
But you'd probably have to eat an awful lot to achieve the desired effect--and
eating too much could cause unfortunate side effects, since watermelon has long
had a reputation as
a natural diuretic.
4. It's rich in vitamins and
minerals, but low in calories.
Given its name, you might assume the
fruit has little nutritional value and it is more than 90 percent water.
But a 10-ounce (300-mL) wedge of watermelon packs in about one-third of the
recommended daily value of vitamins A
and C, as well as a modest amount of potassium (9 percent of the
daily value).
5. It could even combat cancer.
Watermelon is among the best dietary sources of lycopene,
an antioxidant linked to both the prevention and treatment of prostate
cancer, although scientists are still investigating the details of that
connection.
.......................MARIKI HEAVENLIGHT
